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Late start for this one, didn't get to parking bay until after 1pm, on the drive up the cloud was loitering just below the summits, so the optiMIST in me was hoping it may lift by the time I reached the summit!! I had read the reports on this one, so I was prepared for the bogs en route.
Followed the road to Kirkton Farm as per the WH route, nice view to Cruch Ardrain to my right with the cloud almost lifting from the summit.
- Cruach Ardrain
Then left the WHW track to follow the path towards the railway line, where there is a bridge that takes you safely across.
- Bridge
Once past the railway, I get a small taste of whats to come as the path starts to get rather mucky, and spots of rain start to fall, not to worry, a decent view back to the Lui group keeps my head in the game as the view ahead is rather murky
- Lui group
- The view ahead
The rest of the ascent was grey, windy, wet and BOGging!!!! There were sections where I had to make good use of the fence, which runs all the way to the South Top, to get over some of the bogs. I finally reached the summit in just over 3 hours
- Almost smiling!
As seems to be the case when I see heehaw from a summit, 15-20 mins into my descent the cloud starts to break, then eventually gets positively summer like!!!!
Still at least I was getting some of the views that I had missed on the way up
- Ben Vorlich & Stuc a'Chroin
- Crianlarich group
- Lui group, still shy!
- Cruach Ardrain
Despite some of the bad press Challum gets, I really enjoyed this walk, even discovered that I am a pretty nifty mud surfer
Most definitely the muddiest I've done so far, but once I was at peace with the fact I was going to be knee deep in mud at times, it just added to the fun factor. This is Scotland afterall